Region & History

On 31 December 1759, Arthur Guinness signed a lease in Dublin that still appears in every travel guide today. He took over a disused brewery at St James's Gate, four acres in size, with a mill, two malthouses, and stabling for twelve horses. Term: 9,000 years. Rent: £45 a year.

The figure is documented, but it's long since become mere history. Guinness has since bought the site, rendering the contract void. As a symbol of permanence, though, it has survived, and the brewery is happy to use it in its marketing.

At first, Arthur Guinness brewed ale. Then he switched to porter, the dark beer that had emerged in London in the 1720s. Who invented it is unknown. This is precisely what makes the question of the first Irish porter somewhat pointless: the style came from England and became a specialty in Dublin.

The word stout isn't Irish in origin either. It simply meant "strong." A "stout porter" was a more robust porter, and at some point only the first part remained. So Ireland didn't invent the style, but made it so famous that many people assume it's Irish.

The brewhouse grew rapidly. It has been considered Ireland's largest brewery since 1838, and according to common accounts, by 1886 it was even the largest in the world, producing 1.2 million barrels a year. Today Guinness belongs to the drinks conglomerate Diageo, and the brewhouse at St James's Gate sits right in the middle of Dublin, just a few streets from the Liffey.

There's no protected designation of origin here. "Stout" and "porter" are style names that any brewer may use. What defines Dublin, then, isn't a regulation but a single brewhouse that shaped an entire style.